Change it up
by animefreak78990
Summary: What is Suguru never died? What if Kakeru joined soccer for mysterious reasons? That's right people, I'm changing the story... FROM THE VERY BEGINING OF IT'S CREATION. Rated T for caution.
1. Chapter 1

**Hey guys, I know I haven't been writing in a while so I did this new fanfic. I hope you enjoy and please remember to comment.**

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**Chapter 1**

**What are You Doing?**

"Pass Suguru!" Yuusuke called. I watched from the side lines, clutching a soccer ball in my lap. I watched as my brother swiftly passed the ball between one players leg so that it connected perfectly with Yuusuke.

"Great pass Suguru," I called smiling broadly. He turned about a quarter of a centimeter towards me then back to the game. I felt my smile slip slowly till I stared distantly at the field. Finally the coach blew the whistle, signaling the end of practice. I distributed towels and cold water bottles to the sweaty soccer players and then began gathering up the cones and extra balls. I took them to the storage room and placed them carefully inside. I paused for a minute, then turned off the lights and shut the door. I bumped into someone on the way out and fell on my rear end.

"Ow, sorry," I said looking up. Suguru stood there looking at me intensely with blank eyes. I stared at him for a second, then scooted around him and stood up. He grabbed my shoulder and I turned around.

"W-what is it?" I asked. He narrowed his eyes, then shook his head and released his grasp on me.

"Hey Suguru, come over here," Yuusuke called. He gave me a look like, I-am-so-going-to-talk-about-this-later, and then stormed off.

"Did you guys have a fight," a voice pipped up behind me. I spun around and found a very cute, blond haired girl standing directly behind me.

"Uh, no, it's not anything like that," I said. She giggled and smiled broadly at me.

"It's good to see you again Kakeru," she said, tilting her head to the side.

"Who are you?" I asked, my eyebrows rising.

"I thought you wouldn't recognize me. It's me, Seven," she said laughing. My jaw dropped in shock. Seven, was an old, old friend of mine.

*Flashback*

"Hey, can I play with you?" a short, blond haired boy asked.

"Sure, the more the merrier," I said with a smile. We began the soccer game with me, Suguru, Yuusuke, and the blond haired boy on one team and Kazu, Yue, Chilo, and Shime on the other team. We won easily, over powering the other team like it was nothing.

"Hey, what's your name?" Suguru asked the blond haired boy.

"My name is Nakatsuka Nana, but you could call me Seven," the boy said happily. A few months past and we found out that Seven was really a girl. They were best friends and had the best of memories, but like all good things, the end came shortly for their friendship. Seven was moving far away, tears ran down everyone's faces as we waved goodbye to our teammate.

*End of Flashback*

"It's been a while, Kakeru," Seven said merrily. I nodded as we walked down the hall together.

"Um, so what's your classroom number?" I asked. She looked down at a little sheet of paper in her hand and answered, "3B in the East Hall."

My eyes widened in shock and I stopped dead in my tracks.

"That's my classroom!" I exclaimed excitedly. She laughed and grabbed my hand, causing me to blush a crimson red. We opened the door and the teacher announced, "Please take your seats."

I went to my desk while Seven talked with the teacher. The teacher wrote her name on the board and said, "This is your new classmate, Nakatsuka Nana. Please sit in the empty desk next to Aizawa Kakeru."

"Wow, she's cute," most of the boys exclaimed as Seven walked down the row of desks till she was right next to me.

"Please take care of me Kakeru-san," she said, beaming at me. Right then I felt about every single pare of male eyes glaring at me. I ducked my head into my text book and began sweating buckets. Finally, after about an hour, the bell rang signaling the end of the school day. I ran out the door, ignoring the angry shouts behind me. I ran out of the building and grabbed my bike of the bike rack. I hopped on and peddled like my life depended on it all the way home. I threw my bike in the garage and ran inside my house, shutting the door behind me. I went up stairs and finished my homework in record time. I headed back down stairs and found a hot dinner of fish and rice on the table. Mom, dad and Mito were already sitting at the table eating.

"It's not polite to start without others," I grumbled as I sat down. Mito giggled and handed me a filled plate. I smiled bashfully at her and began digging into the food.

"So, there's a new girl in my class," I said.

"Oh, is she cute?" Mom asked me with a sly look on her face. My face turned red and I looked out the window in our hallway.

"I think you're in love," my mom said with a laugh. Mito joined in and the door slid open reveling my older brother. I gulped down the rest of my food and got up.

"W-why are you so late?" I asked.

"Practice," he said with a steely look. I paused and looked down my shoes, then started walking towards the door.

"Kakeru, are you happy as a manager?" he asked as I passed by him. I froze then smiled sadly and answered, "I would just be a burden to the team if I were a player. I'm way better suited as a manager."

I continued walking but Suguru grabbed my shirt and slammed me against the wall.

"What are you doing Kakeru? This pisses me off, how long are you going to hide?" he hissed. I felt tears spring up in my eyes and tore away from his grasp. I ran to my room and collapsed on my bed. After a few minutes I sat up and looked at my clock. I grabbed my duffle bag and my cleats and went back into the hallway. I stopped by my brother's room and peered in.

"_GOAL_," the T.V screamed. Soccer player tackled each other and the crowd roared. My eyes drooped and my face fell a bit.

"Kakeru, what's wrong?" my brother asked. I forced a smile on my face and said, "I'm just going to the convenience store. Do you need anything?"

He hesitated, and then shook his head, staring at me with the same steely eyes as before.

"Okay, see you later then," I said and ran outside. If you're wondering, no, I'm not going to the convenience store. I walked to the park that was near my house and took out my soccer ball from my duffle bag. I ran around the park, dribbling, shooting, and passing the ball around and to the playground equipment. All of a sudden, a dark shape blew past me taking my soccer ball with it. I blinked, unsure if I was seeing correctly. Right in front of me, was an alien in a hoodie juggling my soccer ball on his knee.

"Um, that's my ball," I said uncertainly and stepped forward. He ran straight for me and I jumped back but he spun around me easily and lifted his hand. He made a little, 'come here' motion and repeated the jester again and again. I shrugged my shoulders and charged at the dude at full speed, leaving a trail of dust behind me. We battled it out for about an hour before I started getting tired and collapsed on the ground. Mr. Alien froze, kicked my ball onto my chest, then hopped over the small fence and disappeared. I stared after him, then grabbed my bag and headed back home. I took a shower and collapsed on my bed, smiling to myself. It would be fun to play with him again.

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**Chapter two is about halfway done so please be patiant and my other fanfics will be updated shortly. Don't forget to comment!**


	2. Chapter 2

Hey guys,

I appologize for not updating sooner but the laptop that the file for this fanfic was on started typing in all caps and wouldn't stop. So here is the second chapter after a few days of figuring out how to get it uploaded. Please review.

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**Chapter 2**

**The Zone**

I woke up early the next morning and pulled on my uniform. I ran down stairs and popped two pieces of toast in the toaster.

"Why did you get home so late last night?" an all too familiar steely voice asked. I turned and found my brother in the doorway, his arms crossed.

"G-good morning Suguru," I said with a stutter.

"Answer my question, why did you get home so late?" he asked and took a step closer to me.

"I… couldn't find what I was looking for at the store, and I wandered around for a little," I said. Suguru narrowed his eyes and I ran past him, grabbing my bag on the way out.

"I'm going to school now," I called as I ran out the door. I grabbed my bike from the garage way and hopped on. It was a fairly short ride to school so I got there almost thirty minutes early. I went out to the soccer field and picked up a spare ball lying around. I threw it high into the air and kicked it into the goal.

"So Kakeru, you think you'll be a burden because you can actually make it into the goal?" a sarcastic voice said behind me. I turned and found Suguru standing behind me with his arms crossed.

"I… this… um," I stuttered, trying to come up with an excuse.

"Like I said, you're just running away," he said and walked away. I bit my lip and kicked the ground hard. Why did he of all people have to see me? I sighed, grabbed my bag, and headed to class. I zoned out for the rest of the day, thinking about my brother's words. Was I really running? Finally, it was time for soccer practice and I headed down to the locker rooms. I pulled on my sweat shirt and sweat pants, grabbed my clip board, and began preparing water bottles.

"Kakeru, come on, the coach wants to see you," Kouta called. I gulped and straightened my shirt. I headed outside and found the team gathered around the coach who held a clip board.

"You wanted to see me coach?" I asked nervously. He threw a red jersey to me and I caught it in confusion.

"You're a forward Aizawa," he said. I blanched in shock. I was a manager, not a player.

"H-hold on, I'm a manager!" I started but froze at Suguru's glare.

"If you want to run away, then run. You have no right to stay with soccer half heartedly. But if you still want to go on, put on that jersey and get your butt out onto the field," he said before running to go warm up with the rest of the team.

"Isn't this great, Kakeru. You're on the same team as Suguru," Seven said cheerfully. Okay, great would **not** be one of the words I would have chosen to describe how I was feeling right now. But Suguru was annoyingly right as always, I either had to face soccer head on or make a clean cut.

"Kakeru?" Yuusuke asked warily.

"Fine, Yuusuke help me warm up," I yelled, a bit more sternly than I had meant to. We ran to the side of the field, grabbed a spare ball, and began kicking the ball back and forth. Out of the corner of my eye, I swore I saw Suguru nodding approvingly at me. The coach blew the whistle and I ran to the center of the field where Suguru was waiting. I straightened my red jersey and glared reproachfully at Suguru.

"The red team will proceed with the first kick off," the coach said and blew the whistle, signaling that the game had begun. I kicked the ball to Suguru and started forward, knowing that as a forward, I would have to be ready to receive the ball. Yuusuke tried to cut off Suguru, but Suguru passed him easily and his eyes met mine, sending me a silent message. I nodded slightly and ran as fast as I could towards the goal. Something flew past my head and I found that Suguru had kicked the ball, yet I was so far behind. In a failed attempt, I jumped forward with my leg out stretched and missed the ball by a good meter. I stood up, brushed off my pants and ran back to center play. Playing began getting harder and harder as more of the defense marked me, and I kept on missing the ball that Suguru passed me (though I got a little closer each time). But when I ran back to the center of the field, something happened. It was like something clicked in my head. Suguru looked at me and I swore I saw his eyes widen a little. I nodded, unsure about why I did, but it felt right. Suguru nodded back and the whistle blew. I sprinted forward, faster than I had before. The defenders couldn't react in time and I blew past them easily. I looked over my shoulder and found the ball coming towards me. I dropped and slid with one food out, catching up to the ball easily. I swung my left leg back and kicked the ball hard. I swished into the goal and I blinked in surprise. I had run faster than I ever had before, I caught up to Suguru's pass easily, I had kicked with my left leg, and I had made a goal.

"Nice job Kakeru!" Seven yelled, snapping out of my daze.

"W-What-?" I stuttered. My brain trying to process what just happened.

"You were in the zone," Suguru said. I almost laughed out loud; my serious, cool brother had just said I was in **the zone.** Suguru glared at me and said, "Not what I meant. The zone is a state of being in a competitor that seems to be able to do the impossible. You can master The Zone with practice but you were able to go into the Zone with no experience."

"I didn't….I don't," I stuttered. Suguru sighed and said, "When are you going to wake up and realize that you were born to play soccer."

He walked away, leaving me confused, hurt, and a little scared.

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Chapter three will be on it's way and hopefully I will get my laptop back from the repair store. See you soon!


	3. Chapter 3

**I'm sorry I took so long getting this chapter up! I actually finished it a few weeks ago but had a class trip that lasted for four days, then went on another trip for my group, then my teachers decided to give us finals! So here it is, please review. **

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**Chapter Three**

**The Accident**

I ran down the streets and reached the park. The alien (he or she or… IT) was waiting for me juggling a soccer ball steadily. He (I'm guessing it's a he) looked up as I came in and motioned for me to come at him. I stared at him lost in thought: Suguru had been in the house when I left so it couldn't have been him, Yuusuke was with his family for a reunion tonight so it wasn't him, and it most defiantly wasn't Kouta, no offense.

"Who are you?" I demanded, getting a bit frustrated.

"Well, I guess you do have a right to know," a familiar voice said. The alien took off the mask and I found… Seven (okay scratch the he/him part)? I gaped and rubbed my eyes in disbelief. She glanced up at my face, froze, the broke out into an unstoppable giggle.

"Oh my gosh… your face!" she crowed. I closed my gaping mouth and flushed a deep scarlet.

"S-Seven! You were the alien?" I asked stupidly. Seven nodded, holding her side as she tried to stop her giggles.

"Suguru told me that you came to the park often to practice, so I decided to help out," Seven said cheerfully.

"How did Suguru know?" I asked, alarmed. Seven raised her eyebrow and pointed behind her. My gaze traveled upward till I came to Suguru's bedroom window. Suguru was watching us from the window and smirked as my jaw dropped again. 'Well, so much for secret practice in the park. But, I guess it was kinda close to home,' I thought. Seven waved to Suguru, motioning for him to come down and join them. A few minutes later, Suguru appeared in his soccer uniform. I gave him a reproachful look. He caught in and raised an eyebrow.

"Hey, no fighting," Seven said, "It's almost like old times, the three of us playing together."

I smiled and nodded while Suguru made a motion with his head that I think was a nod. And so, the three of us played till Seven's alarm clock went off, signaling that if we weren't home soon, our parents would skin our backsides. Suguru and I raced home, waving to Seven over our shoulders. I got ready for bed and collapsed on my soft mattress in exhaustion. I closed my eyes and had an odd dream.

*_Kakeru's Dream*_

I ran down the field, players in Brazil uniforms running past me. I looked over my shoulder and found Suguru his leg back to kick the ball into a long pass. We locked eyes and I nodded. I ran to the small space in front of the goal and the ball streaked past my face. I slid, and kicked it into the goal. I ran back and gave Suguru a high five before running back towards the center field when the buzzer went off, signaling the end of the game; we had won.

*_End of Kakeru's Dream*_

I woke up and found that the buzzer in my dream was my alarm clock on my night stand. I groaned and slowly rolled out of bed. I pulled on my uniform and when I opened my door, I found Suguru standing in the door way.

"Good morning Suguru," I said cheerfully. His eyebrows went up a little but he had the same happy smile I had on his face.

"Good morning Kakeru, mom has breakfast ready," he said.

"Race you," I yelled as I blew past him. He caught up to me and the stairs were too narrow for us both to go down at once so I let him go in front of me. We skidded along the slippery wood and almost missed the eating room door. Suguru grabbed the door with one hand and my wrist with his other and we tumbled into the eating room laughing and out of breath. Our sister raised an eyebrow and said, "Well, you two seem to be getting along better this morning."

We laughed and nodded as we shoved food in our mouth. We ran outside and hopped on our bikes. Near the corner of our street, my front tire hit a piece of glass and I hopped onto the back of Suguru's.

"Growing a back bone there, are you, Kakeru?" Suguru asked. I laughed and said, "It's been a while since I road on the back of your bike."

"Yeah, not since you were six and didn't know how to ride a bike so you were forced to share mine," Suguru said. I sighed and relaxed into the gentle breeze and said, "You know, I had a really good dream last night."

Suguru froze for a millisecond, and then asked, "What was it about?"

"We were in the Nationals again, against Brazil. You passed to me in the small space in front of the goal and I sunk the shot in. Then the game ended, and I somehow knew we had won," I said cheerfully. Now Suguru froze completely and I had to hold on tightly so that I wouldn't fall off as he jerked to a stop.

"Kakeru, that was the same…" but he was cut off by a loud rumbling. A huge eighteen wheeler was coming towards us, fast. Suguru grabbed me by the waist and we tumbled backward. The metal guard rail behind us gave way and we fell down, down, down into the ocean. The last thing I saw was Suguru reaching for my hand underneath the pale blue water before blacking out.

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**Yeah, I changed it so they didn't die (Yipee) and I left a cliff hanger so... PLEASE DON'T KILL ME!**

**REVIEW!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Hello,**

**I'm sorry this chapter took so long to upload, I was away for a little. Enjoy and review please!**

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**Chapter 4**

**You want to do what?**

**Suguru's POV**

I woke up and found myself staring at a plain white ceiling. I tried to sit up but a gentle hand touched my chest and a voice said, "Whoa their son… don't rush yourself."

I turned and found a twinkling eyed doctor smiling at me like Santa Clause. I resisted the urge to raise an eyebrow and asked, "Where am I? What happened?"

"Well, your parent's had almost had a heart attack when they heard that you and your brother were in an accident," the doctor said as he scratched the back of his head. I paled as the incident came back to me…

*Flashback*

Kakeru and I were falling. I suddenly hit water and swam up to the surface sputtering turning to look for Kakeru. I saw his form slowly disappearing under water a few feet away from me. I dove and swam towards his limp form. I reached out to grab him and he stared at me, then his eyes slowly closed. _Shit, please be alive, please be alive_, I thought disparately as I grabbed his wrist. I hauled him upward and we broke through the water. He coughed and I sighed in relief, and then began sinking into blackness hearing sirens somewhere in the distance.

*END OF FLASHBACK*

I grabbed the doctor's coat and screamed, "Where is Kakeru? Is he okay?"

"Relax son, your brother is just fine. In fact, he's just next door," I jumped out of the hospital bed and ran out into the hallway. I slammed open the door on the right of me and there he was. He was sitting on the bed looking out of the window next to his bed. He turned, startled by the loud bang and his eyes lit up as they met mine. I tackled him into a tight bear hug and nearly strangled him to death (it was an accident!). After a few last tests the doctors released us and we wondered into the lobby after we changed back into our regular clothes.

"May we speak to the family alone?" the doctor asked. I blinked and realized that mom, dad, Mito, Seven, and the whole soccer team were crammed into the small seating area in the corner. Mom, dad, and Mito got up and we walked to the hallway where yet another doctor was waiting.

"Suguru's vitals are fine, but Kakeru's lungs are very weak right now. We'll need him for weekly checkups and he mustn't do anything strenuous for the next few weeks," the doctor said. Kakeru's parents nodded and thanked the doctor while Kakeru kept looking down at his chest and taking deep breaths. The family was almost trampled by soccer members, and after a long and impressive lecture from our father, they jumped on me and Kakeru. I instantly batted away those who had jumped on my little brother while telling them that his lungs were weak. They apologized, and then proceeded to jump on me. I glared at them and began wrestling with them until my parents told us it was time to go. They drove us home while the soccer team went back to school. Kakeru was ordered straight to bed and I followed him upstairs. I tucked him in bed and froze as I saw his skin next to mine. He was paler than pale, he almost looked transparent. I swallowed the thought and I got up to leave but he grabbed my wrist.

"Suguru, can I talk to you for a little?" he asked. I hesitated before sitting on the end on the bed and said, "Talk away."

"I know you might laugh at this idea, but I was thinking… maybe… well…" he stuttered. I put my hand on his shoulder and in the kindest way possible I said, "Spit it out. You what to do... what?"

"Maybe I could join the soccer team again as a player," he said so fast that I almost didn't understand him. I blinked and growled, "Why on Earth would I laugh at you? I've been trying to get you to come back for the last couple of years."

"I need you to keep it a secret from mom, dad, and Mito. They won't let me play in this condition. You have to promise that you won't tell," he said. I thought about it then said, "I promise not to tell if you promise me one thing. If your condition starts getting worse, you'll stop playing. Got it?"

Kakeru nodded and we shook hands, sealing the deal. I went to my room and pulled out my diary from my desk drawer (do not question me; a diary is a manly thing). I wrote about the accident and about Kakeru joining the soccer team. I looked outside and realized that it was dark. I changed into my sleep ware and flopped onto bed, turning off the lights.

*The Next Day*

*Kakeru's POV*

I woke up and looked outside. The sun was just coming up and red and purple streaks covered the sky. I turned over to go back to sleep when I realized something; I couldn't breathe. I panicked and tried to force air into my lungs. I screamed and realized that it had coast me my last bit of air. The door to my room opened and Suguru came rushing in. I looked at him with wild eyes and seemed to have figured out what the problem was.

"Kakeru, sit up and relax your body," Suguru instructed in a tight voice. I did as I was told and I felt a small amount of air enter my lungs. After a few minutes, I was taking in deep gasps of air while rubbed my back gently.

"T-that was scary," I murmured.

"I bet it was, your lungs are very weak so we have to be very careful," he said as he helped me back to the bed. I lay down and felt Suguru lay down next to me. I sat up quickly, blinking in confusion.

"I am so not letting you sleep alone and risk another attack," Suguru said. I sighed; when Suguru set his mind on something you could rarely convince him otherwise. I slowly fell back into the welcoming arms of sleep and awoke in a few hours. Suguru and I stumbled downstairs, dressed and half asleep. We ate breakfast slowly until we saw the time and shoveled food into our mouths as we ran outside. I hopped on the back of Suguru's bike as he pedaled faster than the wind. We arrived at school right before the gates closed and stumbled to our classes. At the end of the day I filled out a form that let me become a player of the school soccer team. Most of the players welcomed me back but a few gave me a death glare. The coach made a surprising announcement that he would be transferred out in a few weeks and there would be a brand new coach coming. After an easy practice session Suguru and I headed home. I carried a soccer ball under my arm talking about different plays with Suguru. There was a scream and my eyes snapped to the source. A young girl was in the middle of the street, hugging her puppy close to her chest as a speeding car headed for her. As I got a better look at the driver I realized his attention was elsewhere and didn't see the girl at all. I let the ball drop from my arm and kicked it instinctively. The ball curved and hit the windshield of the car straight on. The car squealed to a stop right before it could hit the girl. I looked at the ball as the driver yelled at me angrily. Did I just do that? How? Suguru turned to me, smirking slightly, and said, "Like I was saying before, the zone."

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**The Next chapter shall be out shortly... Don't forget to comment!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Hey Guys, I finally am updating! Please review**

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**Chapter 5**

**The Zone**

"What is the zone?" I asked timidly. Suguru sighed and said, "I told you already. It's a state of being in which you are able to do things beyond your normal physical limitations. The question is how is it that you are able to enter it so easily?"

"What if my emotions help me enter the zone, like when I saved the girl. I was so terrified that she would die, I let my instincts take over," I suggested. Suguru rubbed his chin, nodding slowly, "That may be true. Maybe you have hidden abilities beyond the zone that are waiting to be unlocked.

"Beyond the zone, is that even possible?" I asked startled.

"Maybe, there are four levels or stages of the zone. The first level is Broken. This is when you first are able to enter the zone and can't really control it. The second level is Staggered, this is when you have some control over the zone, but can only stay in it for limited periods of time. The third stage is controlled, it's when you can finally control when and how long you're in the zone. And the last stage is called 'Heaven's realm.' It's supposedly when a person can finally surpass the zone, but so far there's been only one case which was like a hundred years ago," Suguru said, "You're probably on the first level."

I nodded, rubbing my chin thoughtfully. If I learned to master the zone, I could probably play with my brother against some of the world's best players. But would my lungs hold up? They were so weak and would only allow me to play about half a game without collapsing. I was instantly broken out of my deep thoughts when Suguru thumped me hard on the back and sent me sprawling to the ground.

"Ow, what the heck was that for?" I demanded angrily, rubbing my back.

"I thought you were going into shock or something. I called for about a minute without the slightest response," Suguru said firmly, "don't worry about your lungs. We'll do this one step at a time."

Geez, how can he read me like that? It's almost like he's physic. We arrived just as mom was finishing up dinner. I set the table while Suguru got the drinks and Mito got dad from the office. We ate quietly and cleared our plates. Suguru and I grabbed our duffle bags and headed outside. We went to the small park and tried to do some zone training.

"You need to just let yourself go. Fade into the background and let your instincts take over for you. Now, come," Suguru said. I juggled the ball on my foot and let out a deep breath. For a moment, I felt it; time seemed to slow down around me and I could see where Suguru would move next. I started forward, a bit faster than I had expected, and paused. In that moment the sensation went away and everything was back to normal.

"What was that?" I asked in a small voice.

"That is the realm of the zone," Suguru said, "You've finally begun to enter it on your own will."

We practiced for a little before Suguru made me take a break. We gulped down water from our bottles and talked about the team.

"Won't coach tell mom and dad about my member application?" I asked.

"No, he's actually leaving tomorrow and the new coach doesn't know so I think we dodged that bullet," Suguru said.

"Hey Suguru, what will we do if I master the zone?" I asked.

"We'll become pros together and we'll play soccer on a team with the strongest players in the world," Suguru said confidently. I raised an eyebrow at him and after a short stare off we burst out laughing. We headed home and I got ready for bed. When I opened the door to my bed room I found that Suguru had already made himself at home on my bed.

"Do we seriously have to do this every night?" I groaned. He nodded and patted the space on the bed next to him. I turned off the lights and felt around till I finally found the bed. I flopped down and the comforter was thrown over me.

"G'night," Suguru mumbled.

"Night," I said and fell into a dreamless sleep.

*BREAK LINE*

Suguru and I were stretching and warming out when a young, dark haired man motioned for us to gather around. He looked to be in his mid twenties with jet black hair, dark eyes and a gentle smile.

"Hello, my name is Mr. Iwaki, I will be your new coach," the man said. Yuuske and I gave each other a brief glace. He seemed polite, yet his gentle smile didn't quite reach his eyes.

"Why don't you warm up for a little while I organize a practice match," Coach Iwaki said. I began practicing with Suguru again when I noticed something. The coach was looking around and either nodded his head or shook his head. When his gaze landed on me I held his gaze, curious about his motives. He smiled widely and came towards me.

"Hello, you are Kakeru, am I right?" he asked.

"Um, yes sir," I said.

"Please don't call me sir. Err, I know this must sound strange but have you ever heard of the Zone?" He asked. My eyes widened and I nodded my head vigorously, "Yes, my brother and I are trying to figure out ways to help me control it. Why?"

"My boy, the zone is only given to a select few, and it sounds like you've already entered the zone which is very rare. People normally they can enter the zone around my age," he said cheerfully, "to enter it at such a young age is a great achievement."

"Is something wrong coach?" Suguru asked as he approached us. He wore an aura that clearly screamed _OVER PROTECTIVE OLDER BROTHER_. The coach smiled and said, "Your Suguru aren't you? I heard a lot about you from Araki."

Suguru's eyes widened a little at that statement. I remember Suguru talking about Araki when he was in the nationals.

"That's right; in fact, I couldn't get him to shut up about you. He kept on babbling about how brilliant you were and how he would love to play with you again. He went on and on and on till I wanted to throw him down the nearest sewer drain. But it did make me a bit curious so I went to go see the finals against Brazil. If I was playing with you, I swear I would be babbling like Araki was. You have talent," Coach Izawa said appraisingly.

"GOT THAT RIGHT BUB!" an extremely loud voice exclaimed. We all turned and found a boy dressed in a soccer uniform standing a mere three feet from us.

"Araki, what did I tell you about screaming," Suguru said strictly.

"Yeah, I know what you said… but I'm just not in the mood to listen. It's been so long Sugu- boy," the boy said and thumped Suguru on the back. The boy then turned to me and beamed at me.

"So your Suguru's brother. Wow you're shorter than I imagined. He always said you were good at soccer, but the Zone. That's seriously awesome little chibi boy. Hey, hey, do you mind me calling you Kaku-boy," he said at super speed. Too flustered to speak I nodded my head and he thumped me on the back. The air escaped from my lungs and I had a momentary panic attack. Suguru came over and gently helped me sit down while he rubbed my back in smooth circles.

"Suguru…I…_gasp_…can't…_gasp_…breath!" I said in a panicked voice.

"It's okay, just relax. That's it," he said softly so only I could hear him. Eventually I caught my breath and took a few gulps of water, the bottle shaking in my hands.

"Are you okay Kakeru?" Seven and Yuuske asked as they ran to my side.

"I swear, I didn't mean to hit you that hard!" Araki said, his arms floundering.

"It's okay, you didn't know. Kakeru's lungs are a bit weak from a little accident we were in a few days ago," Suguru said.

"Oh geez, sorry, sorry," Araki said.

"It's fine," I said, "I had a panic attack before so it's not really a big deal."

"Are you sure you should be playing soccer? We don't know if this is permanent or not yet," Yuuske asked.

"It's fine, not a big deal… really," I said quickly. Seven raised an eyebrow and peered at me closely and said, "You're pale Kakeru, and you're still a bit breathy," she put a hand on my forehead, "You're a little bit hot. Do you have a fever?"

"No," I said, but felt my forehead for conformation.

"KAKERU!" a very angry voice shouted. I winced and murmured, "Please no, oh please no."

"What's wrong? Is it a bully?" Seven said glancing around.

" Even worse," I said, paling, "It's my little sister."


	6. Chapter 6

As promised, here is the next chapter! Enjoy and sorry for the wait!

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Chapter 6

I stared at my very angry younger sister who was glaring at me menacingly from across the field. She marched straight towards me and screamed, "And just what are you doing mister?! Your in no condition to get back on the field. I know that I kept on telling you that going back to being a player is what's best for you, but becoming a player right after you fell into the ocean is not the smartest idea you've had."

"Um, yeah I know, I mean- uh," I stuttered and turned to Suguru, "can you talk some sense into her?"

He looked down at Mito but she held a figure right in front of his face and said, "Oh no you don't mister. I mad at you for going along with this foolishness. Don't think you can talk your way out of this."

He glared at her and said, "Now which one of us is older?"

"And which one of us is more logical right now?" she countered.

"Kakeru is fulfilling his dream, you should be happy for him Mito," Suguru said.

"And might die. I was there with you when you guys were in the hospital. His lungs are weak, which means that if he exerts himself too much, he won't be able to breath and die," Mito said worriedly. The new coach knelt down next to her and said, "Your brother is a very important player. He's going to be our trump card in a game, which means he'll only play for short periods of time."

"Fine, do as you please. But the first time you collapse, I'm pulling you out," Mito said, sticking her finger right under my noes.

"So you won't tell mom?" I asked hopefully. She shook her head, sighed and looked at the sky.

"I must be really nice, or infected my my older brothers' stupidity. But we're going to have a problem. I can keep mom and dad out of the stands, but what's stopping them from watching games on the TV. They'll see it eventually when it's time for the championships," Mito said.

"Mito your in the student council at school, right?" Suguru asked. Mito nodded confused.

"Then I have a crazy plan that may just work," he said.

"Shoot, it can't be that crazy," Mito snorted.

"Plan all your school activities at the time of the matches and tell mom and dad that if they don't help out, then you'll purposely fail school," Suguru said.

"Suguru, it's not that simple, there are rules and voting and, and" Mito exclaimed, then frowned, "and I'm the president, aren't I."

"Yes you are," Suguru said, "and I'm counting on that."

"I'll try it, but seriously our chances of pulling this off is one in a million," she said and turned towards me, "I know that your training camp starts next week, don't do anything too strenuous. Suguru, make sure Kakeru takes his meds."

We nodded and she smiled, "Okay, I'll see you at home then."

As soon as she was out of sight, I sank to my knees, "I was so sure she was going to tear us to pieces."

"I'm surprised she didn't," Suguru said. Seven giggled and we glared at her, but ended up laughing right along with her. It would be interesting to see how things turned out.

-THAT NIGHT-

After a quick, late night practice with Seven and Suguru, I went back home and took a shower. I dried my hair and laid on my bed thinking to myself. What if it really was a bad idea, to joining the soccer again. I shook my head furiously, trying to clear the negative thoughts.

"Your head looks like it's about to fall off," a stern voice said and I turned towards the door where Suguru was standing with one eyebrow raised.

"What are you doing here?" I asked curiously.

"Making sure you don't have another attack. Did you take your meds?" He asked as he set up a small futon next to my bed. I nodded and, very quietly, asked, "Do you think I'll have attacks often?"

He paused, and a thoughtful look crossed his face, then shook his head, "I think that you just have to give your lungs some time to heal."

I nodded and was suddenly pushed down into my pillow and let out an indignant, "Hey!"

"Sleep, you'll heal faster," Suguru said as he turned out the lights. I stuck out my tongue. I could barely see it, but he rolled his eyes as he settled down and said, "Don't step on me tomorrow when you wake up."

"Fine," I said grumpily and rolled over, hiding a small smile.

-THE NEXT DAY-

I woke up and went to the bathroom. I broke into a fit of coughing and felt warm liquid seep through my hand. I looked down at it fearfully and cried out in fright. It was blood. I had just coughed up blood. I knelt down against the cold, tile wall.

"I'm okay, I'm okay, I'm okay," I murmured to myself over and over again as I began to cough again. The door to the bathroom flew open and Suguru came in. He took one look at me, and paled.

"MOM, DAD! WAKE UP! IT'S AN EMERGENCY!" He bellowed as he lifted me up as gently as he could into his arms. My mom and dad came rushing in and yelled for Suguru to take me to the car. He handed me a towel and carried me to my dad's minivan. He laid me in the back seat with my head on his lap.

"S-Suguru, what's going on?" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.

"I don't know, but we're going to figure it out," he said gently, but his voice strained as my parents hurried into the car and sped to the hospital. I was put on a stretcher and wheeled into the emergency room while a doctor talked to me.

"It's going to be okay son, we'll find the problem and fix it in a jiffy," he said and I nodded weakly. After an hour of tests and new medication the doctor gave his report.

"His lungs weren't the only thing damaged by the salt water. His heart is also very weak and unpredictable at the moment. You should have him sleep for at least ten hours a day and have him stay away from any strenuous activity," the doctor said.

"W-will he be okay?" mom asked.

"To tell you the honest truth, we're unsure at the moment. But given his current state, I would say yes," the doctor said, "I would like to check him in a couple of weeks. Please give him the new medication prescribed morning and night."

My parents nodded and when we were alone, I asked the dreaded question, "Does this mean that I can't go to the training camp next week?"

"I-I'm not sure sweetie, I know you were looking forward to it, but you just coughed up blood," my mom said, "what if something happens while your there?"

"Then I'll take care of him," Suguru said, stepping forward, "Our training camp is right near the hospital so if anything happens, it's just a couple of seconds by car. It'll be fine."

My mom and dad looked at each other and said, "You two go wait in the lobby while we discuss."

We nodded and I realized that both of us were still in our pajamas. Suguru scratched the back of his head and said, "I thought you got rid of your teddy bear PJs."

I sputtered incoherently and chased him all the way to the lobby. We sat down on a large sofa to catch our breaths.

"Kakeru!" a voice shouted and I looked up. Seven ran and hugged me, then pulled away to look me over.

"Are you okay? I heard that you were coughing up blood! What did the doctor say? Hows your condition?" she said at hyper speed.

"Umm. I'm okay, I did cough up blood, the doctor said I needed to get 10 hours of sleep a day, and I should be fine if I take it easy."

"Thank goodness. But know this: If I catch you over working yourself at training camp, you will find out that I have quite a temper," Seven warned. I nodded then frowned.

"I don't even know if I'm going yet. My dad and mom are discussing it in the hallway," I said glumly. Seven frowned as well and said, "Well, if your just going as a 'manager' it should be fine with them, right?"

I shrugged my shoulders and sighed. Suddenly alarms went off and we all jumped to our feet. Men in black masks came rushing in, all with fire arms and one shouted, "Everyone down on the ground!"

What was going on?!


	7. Chapter 7

I'm so sorry for the late update. School has been a pain in the tush T.T! Read and enjoy!

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Chapter 7

Plans in Action

Too shocked to do anything, we did as we told and laid down in the floor. This was a hospital! Not a bank! A rough hand grabbed me by the arm and lifted me into the air by my wrist, which, by the way, was very uncomfortable. The cold end of a gun connected with my head and my captor shouted, "No one move or this kid's gonna get a round in the head."

Fear grabbed me and something snapped inside of me. My foot moved without my accord and kicked the man hard in the side of the head, sending him flying several meters. The others turned on me, guns raised, but apparently I wasn't done. It was like watching one of those cheesy martial arts movies first hand as my legs lashed out and kicked the members one by one without pause. When I regained control of my limbs, the assaulters were in various positions, out cold. Suguru ran to my side and shoved me into a seat, Seven right beside him.

"Are you hurt anywhere? Do your lungs hurt? How many fingers am I holding up?" Suguru said at super speed without pause. I blinked rapidly and said, "What... what just happened? How did I do that?"

"I think that I can explain that," a soft voice said. We turned and found the doctor who we talked to earlier, my mom, and dad next to him. They ran to me and tackled me roughly into a tight hug, my mom bawling her eyes out.

"May I speak to your sons privately?" the doctor asked gently. My mom looked like she was about to argue with him, but my dad squeezed her hand and nodded. Suguru and I walked into a small white room and sat down on an examination table side by side.

"I talked to your coach a little while ago, and understand that Kakeru is playing soccer without the knowledge of your parents. I encourage that you continue. The exercise will help you strengthen your body, but be careful not to over exert yourself. Now to the matter at hand, have you boys heard of something called of something called "PZ"? Many players call it the Zone," the doctor said. Kakeru nodded and the doctor smiled, "PZ is actually when a person has short adrenaline burst in an exaggerated flight or fight response. It sharpens the skills an allows a person to do things that most people can only see in movies. It's probably what occurred just a few minutes ago inside you. Soccer, or any sport, should help you gain control over these adrenaline bursts."

"So it wasn't anything bad?" I asked. The doctor shook his head and said , "As for your lungs, they seem to have improved since the last visit, but I would still like you to visit every week so that we can ensure that another episode like this morning doesn't occur."

We thanked him and returned to the lobby. Seven had left for school and my mom gave us permission to miss school due to the hectic morning. Suguru and I changed as soon as we got home and decided to try to play the new video game that Suguru had gotten for his birthday. It had great graphics, but I stunk at it. Suguru beat me several times before he took pity on me and let our last match end in a draw. For lunch, we scoured the corners of the cabinets and finally found fixing for peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. At about one, we decided to head over to school to go to soccer practice, but when we arrived I was attacked by other members of the team.

"Kakeru, on the bench. Now," Araki said and basically carried me to one of the small benches next to the field. Seven threw a towel over my head and said, "No playing for you today. You will sit right here and watch."

I tried to argue, but even Suguru shook his head with his straight face. The coach smiled and said, "Don't worry, give them about at week and they'll let up."

I groaned and said, "A week? I'll get all flabby by then."

"Flabby is better than coughing up blood," Seven said.

"It was once!" I exclaimed.

"Yes, it happened this morning. You are not going back to practice until you get permission," Seven said, gently flicking me on the forehead. I grumbled a little, but cheered on my team members as they played a practice match.

"Now gather round. As you know, we will go on a short, one week training camp trip right before our first game. You must hand in your slips by tomorrow or you will not be able to participate, do you understand?" Iwaki said. We nodded and I helped Suguru pack up.

"Kakeru! Suguru!" a small voice yelled. We turned and found Mito at the edge of the field, waving frantically, "Mom told me to come get you two."

We ran to her and Suguru ruffled her hair before I shouted, "Race you to the house!"

"Gosh darn it... both of you slow down!" Mito wailed as she tried to catch up with us. Knowing that if we went all out, Mito would get lost, we slowed down so that she could fall into step with us. When we arrived home, we skidded to a stop in front of the table and sat down quickly.

"Itadakimasu!" we chorused and began fighting each other for the serving utensils. Mom kept shaking her head, looking like she was torn between laughing and telling us to use our table manners, but eventually settled on laughing. Dad began singing as he drank a whole bottle of sake and we eventually managed to take away his second bottle before he got too drunk. It felt like a normal night, but at the end of dinner, Suguru and I put our plan into action.

"Hey mom, do you think it would be okay if I went on the trip with the soccer team. As a manager of course," I said with pleading eyes. Mom frowned and said, "I'm not sure. I don't want anything to happen to you while I'm not there. And your health isn't quite up to par yet either."

"Don't worry, our training building is right next to a hospital so if anything happens we're seconds away from help. Plus I'll be there to look after him," Suguru said, putting on his highly-organized-caring-brother act. My mom sighed and said, "Well, I guess if it's only a week."

I cheered and Suguru smiled. Plan get-mom-to-let-Kakeru-go-to-training-camp was a success. That night, Suguru insisted that he still sleep on my floor, even though I threatened to step on him the next morning and won the argument with his all powerful protective brother glare. We lay on our backs and very quietly, I asked, "Um... Suguru?"

"Yeah, what is it?" Suguru answered.

"Do you think that, I mean... will I get better?" I asked in a small voice. Something large smacked me in the face and I cried out in pain.

"Sorry, meant to slap your arm. I aimed a little to high," Suguru said, "But you are going to get better, I'm sure of it. We just have to be patient."

"Easy for you. I'm still going to have to convince Araki and Seven to let me play... and Yusuke. I bet he's going to go all out mother hen on me," I said with a groan as I rubbed my sore fore head.

"Most defiantly so," Suguru said, and I could almost feel his smirk.

"Thank you so much for that boost of confidence," I said sarcastically and he jabbed me in the ribs. We chuckled quietly and the silence gently lolled me into sleep.

-THE NEXT DAY-

I woke up early and Suguru handed me a fully filled out form.

"Wait, when did you get this? I was going to ask mom to fill it out at the breakfast table..." I said and Suguru held up his hands in mock innocence. I smirked and said, "What next, are you going to pull a rabbit out of a hat."

"I don't know, you always used to say you wanted one. I bet Seven would be overjoyed if you got a pet bunny," Suguru said. I sputtered, my face turning red and chased my brother all the way around the house until mom called us down to the table. When we arrived at school, we immediately went to coach Iwaki and handed in our slips. The day passed by quickly, but our next plan was put into action during practice after school.

"Hey Seven?" I asked, putting on my sweetest smile.

"Yes what is it, do you feel sick?" Seven asked worriedly.

"Oh no, it's nothing like that, I was just wondering, you see I got my slip signed by my mom to go on the trip, but I was just wondering if I had your permission," I said.

"My permission for what?" she asked, one eyebrow raised.

"To play of course, after all, I need to train to become a substitute for our upcoming game," I said and her eyes narrowed.

"No, absolutely not. You can play perfectly fine without practicing for a week," she countered. I sighed and said, "I didn't want to do this, but if you don't let me practice, I'll tell everyone that your actually "Little Witch" on Nadeshiko Japan."

She paled and said, "How did you find out?"

"A little hunting and gathering on both my and Suguru's part. Don't worry, the doctor said that exercise is good to strengthen my body," I said quickly.

"You know, you could have told me this before you tried to black mail me. Fine, do as you like, but know that I'm keeping an eye on you," she said. I nodded and put a mental checkmark next to her name. One down, two to go. Araki was an easy fix. Suguru had gotten his favorite candy from the grocery store and I bribed him with a whole box of double hot fudge cookies. The last, however, was harder to budge.

"Come on, please!" I begged, giving Yusuke puppy dog eyes. In response he flicked me on the forehead and said, "Absolutely not, Kakeru. You are not to practice till the end of this month."

"But that's two weeks away! I'll get fat by then," I exclaimed and made exaggerated hand motions towards my stomach.

"No," Yusuke said.

"But-"

"No!"

"Yusuke," a new voice said and Suguru stepped forward, putting on his best glare. Yusuke, being Suguru's childhood friend, actually was able to fight back for several minutes, but like all victims, eventually gave in.

"Fine, but I'm making sure you don't push yourself, go it," Yusuke said to me and I nodded. There, last member to convince; now how would the training camp go?

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I'll update as soon as possible, but again, school is a pain in the tush!


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